Reflect

1. Surat Nun sets forth the principles of Da’wa; with two examples: the Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) as the model with great moral principles on one side, and those who do not abide by these principles and hence gain nothing from their Da’wa, on the other.

2. The surah narrates the story of some people who owned a beautiful garden. Their miserliness forced other people to hate them and eventually Allah took everything away from them. The story is warning us not to be miserly. Tightfistedness is one of the worst characteristics that those who call to Allah could have. It hampers their efforts in calling to Islam and prevents people from listening to them.

3. To perform Da’wa, a Muslim should be skilful in his religion, and he can reach such level through continuous reading and studying. That is why this surah is named “The Pen” and that is why it was the second surah to be revealed, right after surat Al-Alaq in which Allah’s first word to Muhammad was “Read”. How can we claim to be part of this Ummah, the Ummah of “Read” and how can we spread its religion without being committed to reading and studying?